Lost Contact ~ 8th Cousin X1 Removed Barack Obama

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 43 (LOST CONTACT)

This week we are focusing on the 8th cousin X1 removed this Bramble Bush has lost contact with - Barack Obama. 

In November 2021 I wrote about Barack Obama being in our forest, but not directly in our Bramble Bush.

3 years of research later I can now confidently say that Chris and Barack are definitely cousins.

Initially I thought these two cousins have absolutely nothing in common as indicated below:

1. Barack - President, Chris - Paramedic
2. Barack - American, Chris - Canadian
3. Barack - 2 daughters, Chris - 2 sons

BUT then I found the photo below, and realized at their core they are more alike than I thought.

They share a brand preference for Cannon cameras.

Although these two family lines have clearly lost contact these 8th cousins X1 removed are very much alike!

Who knows maybe they will connect in the future!

Their shared family lines are via their mother's paternal lines

They are descendants of half brothers
Benjamin Smith (Chris)
Birth 28 JAN 1687 • Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA
Death 8 JUN 1732 • Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States
and
Shubael (Shobal) Smith (Barack)
Birth 2 JAN 1693 • Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA
Death 31 MAY 1768 • Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, US

Benjamin & Shobal's father was
Samuel Smith
Birth APR 1644 • Barnstable, Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA
Death 16 DEC 1719 • Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA
who was Chris' 7th & Barack's 8th great grandfather

Samuel's 1st wife (Chris' 7th great grandmother)
Esther Dunham
Birth 29 DEC 1661 • Haverhill, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA
Death 14 AUG 1690 • Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA

Samuel's 2nd wife (Barack's 8th great grandmother)
Elizabeth Peirce
Birth ABT. 1657 • Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA
Death ABT. 1737 • Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, US

November 6th 2021 I wrote:

"Since Ancestry only provides one line of connection the exact cousin connection would take a lot more time than I am willing to provide this week to identify for his father's paternal line.  

• Is our Bramble Bush connected to 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama?  Yes! 
• Is he related to my husband and children? No! 
• Do they have shared relatives they are related to? Yes. 
• Is there shared blood?  No!  
• That could change in the future, but for now...." 1 

In October 2024 all that changed, and yet stayed the same:

• Is our Bramble Bush connected to 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama?  Yes! 
• Is he related to my husband and children? Yes! 
• Do they have shared relatives they are related to? Yes. 
• Is there shared blood?  ALSO YES!  

This is still via his mother's line. 

Still to be found is the paternal connection.

When you take the time to go back through your research!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1  Cousin Barack Obama ~ Spoiler Alert, Not Exactly. Somehow Related Blog. Originally published November 6th 2021. Retrieved October 22nd 2024 from
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/search?q=barack

Sources:

Ancestry of Barack Obama. 44th U.S. President. FamousKin. Retrieved October 22nd 2024 from
https://famouskin.com/family-tree.php?name=10012+barack+obama

Barack Obama. 44th president of the United States. Brittanica. Retrieved October 22nd 2024 from
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Barack-Obama

Barack Obama Jr. Wikitree. Where Genealogist Collaborate. Retrieved October 22nd 2024 from
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Obama-2

Family tree of Barack OBAMA. Geneastar Famous Genealogies. Retrieved October 22nd 2024 from
https://en.geneastar.org/genealogy/obamabarack/barack-obama

President Barack Obama. Barack Obama Presidential Library. National Archives. Retrieved October 22nd2024 from
https://www.obamalibrary.gov/obamas/president-barack-obama

Samuel SMITH. Apr 1644 - 15 Dec 1719. The Needham Family. Retrieved October 22nd 2024 from
https://jrm.phys.ksu.edu/Genealogy/Needham/d0005/I1199.html

Samuel Smith. FindAGrave. Retrieved October 22nd 2024 from
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/126273717/samuel-smith

Photos:

President Barack Obama takes aim with a photographer's camera (Canon EOS 5D Mark II) backstage prior to remarks about providing mortgage payment relief for responsible homeowners. Dobson High School. Mesa, Arizona 2/18/09. Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved October 22nd 2024 from
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Barack_Obama_holding_a_canon_camera.jpg

Personal

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Cards ~ It's a Full House

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 42 (FULL HOUSE)

When I was small we didn't play cards in my family.

I was almost 10 before I learned to play Crazy 8s and Rummy.

A full house in Rummy is why I decided to write about this memory this week.

While visiting my grandfather the summer I was turning 10 he taught me how to play these two card games.

This photo was taken that summer. 

grandpa, me, grandma, dad

He served watermelon in big round slices on a plate with a spoon.

That summer grandpa and I attached over card games & watermelon.

This is the grandfather who changed his name.

I knew him as Clyde Robertson, but he was born Max Pellack.

It would be many years before I learned about this mystery.

I just knew him as the grandpa who first taught me how to play cards.. 

In high school I learned how to play Euchre.

When I first met Chris he was surprised that I didn't know how to play crib so he taught me while we were expecting our first child.

I didn't come from a family that played cards.

As an adult I have enjoyed card games.

The things we clearly remember from childhood!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photos:

Personal

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Curses and Thieves ~ The Mehargs

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 41 (MOST)

I wonder what the most popular baby names in the 1800s were? 
    - This was my immediate thought as soon as I began thinking about this week's prompt MOST.

There was no shortage of data available online where I discovered John & Mary were the most popular throughout the 1800s.

Then I began searching our Bramble Bush for a couple whose names were John & Mary who fit for the timeframe.

I found Chris' X3 great grandparents (via his father's paternal line).

John Franklin Meharg
Birth 24 JUN 1832 • Rathfriland, Ulster, County Down, Ireland
Death 7 JUN 1909 • Norfolk, Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada
&
Mary Ette (Marietta) Longstaff
Birth 22 MAY 1840 • Scarborough, York Co, Upper Canada (Ontario)
Death 4 MAR 1917 • North Walsingham, Norfolk, Ontario, Canada

Rosa Lula is Chris' X2 great grandmother

The information I found online kept quoting 1880

" the most popular name during the late 1800s, John hit its peak in 1880 with 9,655 baby boys given the name that year. It remained one of the top 10 boys’ names for a century, and ranked 28th in 2016.
...
Nearly six percent of all baby girls born during the 1880s and 1890s decades were named Mary, making it the most popular female name in the late 19th century. A whopping 14,406 baby girls were given the name in the year 1898 alone. By comparison, there were only 5,773 baby girls given the second most popular name, Anna, that year. " 1

I couldn't figure out why until I found the Galbi Think! page (linked in sources below) then I realized the 1880 date was the census date the information was collected from.

When Mary was born in 1840 there were 3233 with the second most popular, Elizabeth, there was only 1828. 

When John was born in 1840 there were 2351 with the second most popular, William, there was 1804. 

These statistics were from the United States. Likely Canada (Mary) and Ireland (John) were not much different.

According to the United States Social Security the top 10 most popular baby names of the 1800s were: 

Sourced below

Mary & John had 11 children that I have found records for. Chris has DNA matches through 4 of the children. I suspect I have not found all of their children because these 11 all lived to adulthood. It's always possible Mary & John defied all the odds of the time & didn't lose any infants or children, but this would be very surprising. Their youngest is Chris' X2 great grandmother on his father's paternal line.

Their 11 children I have found are:

Nicholas James Meharg
Birth 3 AUG 1860 • Glen Meyer, Ontario, Canada
Death 14 OCT 1941 • Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, USA

William Edgerton (Bill) Meharg
Birth 02 FEB 1862 • Glen Meyer, Ontario, Canada
Death 14 APR 1919 • Alpena, Alpena, Michigan, USA

Alfred Edward Meharg
Birth 14 JAN 1864 • Glen Meyer, Ontario, Canada
Death 2 MAY 1945 • Dunbar, Marinette, Wisconsin, USA

Sarah Lavina (Sally) Meharg
Birth 31 MAR 1866 • Glen Meyer, Ontario, Canada
Death 18 JULY 1934 • St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada

John Franklin (Jack) Meharg
Birth 22 AUG 1868 • Glen Meyer, Ontario, Canada
Death 21 JULY 1949 • York, Ontario, Canada

David Ernest Meharg
Birth 9 MAY 1871 • Glen Meyer, Ontario, Canada
Death 19 JUN 1919 • Comber, Ontario, Canada

Joseph Wesley (Joe) Meharg
Birth 08 AUG 1873 • Glen Meyer,  Ontario, Canada
Death 18 NOV 1930 • Alpena, Alpena, Michigan, USA

Robert George Meharg
Birth 18 AUG 1875 • Glen Meyer, Ontario, Canada

Death 23 FEB 1954 • Glen Meyer, Ontario, Canada

Charles Clarence (Charlie) Meharg

Birth 22 JAN 1878 • Glen Meyer, Ontario, Canada

Death 02 AUG 1949 • Yale, St Clair, Michigan, United States

Whitfield Thomas Meharg
Birth 23 JAN 1880 • Glen Meyer, Ontario, Canada

Death 4 APR 1958 • Tillsonburg, Oxford, Ontario, Canada

Rosa Lulu Meharg
Birth 12 JUL 1882 • Glen Meyer, Ontario, Canada
Death 23 DEC 1962 • Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada

This was the line that first gave us to wonder if the two sides of our children' Bramble Bush were going to colide.

The tale was the Mehargs were Grahams who reversed the spelling of their name after being sheep thieves and deciding to live a crime free life. 

I was relieved to find their Grahams were Irish since my mother's paternal line is Graham from Scotland. 

Then I found the article, Meharg, a name cursed since the 1500s; blame it on the Archbishop of Glasgow, written by Howard Meharg that tells us this

"My distant and unknown relative, Bob, has discovered that our family hails from a blood-soaked region along the border of Scotland and England he describes as once being in the "grip of feud and organized gangsterism." Trust me, Bob says, this was bad stuff. And it was made that way, largely, by a bunch of murderous clans known as the "border reivers," whose only major contribution to English culture was the word "blackmail."

These "goons" (Bob's word) thought nothing of sacking and looting a farm or neighboring clan. Now, right in the thick of all of this were our ancestors, who at that time went under the name of Graham.

The Grahams, he says in a bit of understatement, were so good at their business that they brought a "certain amount of ill will." Thus, they were savagely persecuted by the English king of the day.

But that was just the beginning of the Grahams' problems. The Archbishop of Glasgow issued a tirade which, in part, went like this: "I curse thair heid and all the haris of thair heid; I curse thair face, thair ene, thair mouth, thair crag, thair schulderis, thair breist, thair hert..."

Only a Scot could come up with something like that. But it worked. It became so unhealthy to be a Graham that many of them, at the behest of one smart family member, decided to change the name to avoid further attention. In a blaze of inspiration, he put the letters backwards, from Graham to Maharg and later to Meharg. 

Then, in an equally bright move, a branch of the family ran off to the peace and safety of Northern Ireland." 2

It's interesting that this family lore is similar to the family lore my husband's branch tells, but not so close that it's the exact same tale.

Now we are left wondering if the two sides of this Bramble Bush really are merging ... 

Sorry kids you may be cousins to yourself!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1  The Most Popular Baby Names of the 1800s. Cheyenne Buckingham. Yahoo Finance. Originally published June 21st 2017. Retrieved Octover 5th 2024 from 
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-popular-baby-names-1800-161237599.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJob1mM6J_Ra_Mb1HDrty-T0kTFrqcYa5wFwP0VHxF9LOS-EeGMkIFDlR7bpVXulqe-ZKbME-3igFtKfCgtHzKFRl-JZcNSfJ7hArWJeEYfUKuInvX5xqzuCBpqHyigfX6WHDr90udJ4dYCa7FwxYrFpID_JMuMoh4g3kxNDDN_u

2 Meharg, a name cursed since the 1500s; blame it on the Archbishop of Glasgow. Howard Meharg. Retrieved October 11th 2024 from 
https://www.howardsong.org/meharg-name-cursed-since-1500

Sources:

Galbi Think! Retrived October 11th 2024 from 
https://www.galbithink.org/

John Franklin Meharg Sr. Find A Grave. Retrieved October 11th 2024 from
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48974046/john_franklin_meharg

Mary Ett Longstaff Meharg. Find A Grave. Retrieved October 11th 2024 from
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48974066/mary_ett_meharg

Meharg, a name cursed since the 1500s; blame it on the Archbishop of Glasgow. Howard Meharg. Retrieved October 11th 2024 from
https://www.howardsong.org/meharg-name-cursed-since-1500

The Most Popular Baby Names of the 1800s. Cheyenne Buckingham. Yahoo Finance. Originally published June 21st 2017. Retrieved Octover 5th 2024 from 
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/most-popular-baby-names-1800-161237599.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJob1mM6J_Ra_Mb1HDrty-T0kTFrqcYa5wFwP0VHxF9LOS-EeGMkIFDlR7bpVXulqe-ZKbME-3igFtKfCgtHzKFRl-JZcNSfJ7hArWJeEYfUKuInvX5xqzuCBpqHyigfX6WHDr90udJ4dYCa7FwxYrFpID_JMuMoh4g3kxNDDN_u

Popular Given Names. US, 1801-1999. Given Name Frequency Project. Douglas Galbi. Galbi Think. Retrieved October 5th 2024 from
https://www.galbithink.org/names/us200.htm

Top names of the 1880s. Social Security. Unite States Government. Retrieved October 5th 2024 from
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/names1880s.html

Photos:

John Franklin & Mary Ette (nee Longstaff) Meharg. Photo provided by extended family member to the writer.

Top 10 baby names for boys and girls, Screenclip, Social Security Administration. Unite States Government. Retrieved October 11th 2024 from
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/decades/names1880s.html

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

X7 Great Grandma Ursula ~ Little Bear

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 40 (LEAST)

I found X7 great grandma Ursula while searching for a name that meant LEAST for this week's prompt.

I found none of the names in our bramble bush actually meant least.

I then stretched to LITTLE and found the name Ursula mean's little bear, and this week's blog found a focus.

Tracking back through the lines resulted in a shift in family lore. 

We thought Chris' father's maternal line originated from the Netherlands, and were fully Dutch. 

While tracking back on this line we found 5th great grandparents were from Germany. 

We now understood why his DNA had shown a smidge more Germanic than we would have expected. 

Our current brick wall stands at Ursula's grandparents, Chris' 9th great grandparents.

Chris' 7th great grandmother via his father's maternal line is:
Ursula Dorothea Goetz
Birth 5 APR 1672 • Esslingen, Baden Wurttemberg, Germany
Death 7 SEP 1744 • Backnang, Rems-Murr-Kreis, Württemberg, Germany

and his 7th great grandfather is:
John Martin (Martin) Helmsdörffer
Birth 29 JUL 1672 • Germany, Allemagne
Death 19 OCT 1719 • Germany

In looking at Ursula's life we see that her mother (Anna Catharina nee Wildermuht) was born during the last part of the Thirty Years' War.

"Württemberg was devastated in the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48) and fell prey to French invasions from 1688 until 1693 during the War of the Grand Alliance. Yet the country enjoyed progressive government. Compulsory education was introduced in 1649. Duke Eberhard Louis (reigned 1693–1733) improved the duchy’s defenses and schools, built the celebrated Ludwigsburg Palace, and admitted Waldensian refugees from France, who introduced the textile and other industries into the duchy."   1

Esslingen has a long history.

"There is archaeological evidence that what is now the city of Esslingen was settled since the Neolithic. Traces of human settlement found at the site of the city church date back to around 1000 B.C.  .... 
Esslingen was first mentioned in 777 as Ezelinga in the last will of Abbot Fulrad from Saint-Denis (near Paris), the chaplain of Pippin and Charlemagne. He bequeathed the church sixth cell upon the river Neckar to his monastery, Saint-Denis. He also brought the bones of Saint Vitalis to Esslingen, which made it a destination for pilgrims and led to its growth."   2

As a child learning about the historical events that happened it would have been so much easier to attach to the learning had we been able to attach an ancestor who was likely there. 

Looking at this photo of X7 great grandma Ursula's hometown we have added one more to our ever growing To-Visit List.

Growing our To-Visit List on ancestor at a time!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1  Württemberg. Historical state, Germany. Britannica. Retrieved October 4th 2024 from https://www.britannica.com/place/Wurttemberg

2  Esslingen am Neckar. German Culture. Retrieved October 4th 2024 from 
https://germanculture.com.ua/travel-to-germany/esslingen-am-neckar/

Sources:

Descendants of Isaac & Mary Claus Williams. Williams Family Ancestry. Retrieved October 4th 2024 from
https://www.martinosworld.com/Genealogy/Williams-Family-Tree.htm#MariaAgnes

Esslingen am Neckar. German Culture. Retrieved October 4th 2024 from
https://germanculture.com.ua/travel-to-germany/esslingen-am-neckar/

Ursula. Behind the Name. Retrieved October 4th 2024 from 
https://www.behindthename.com/name/ursula

Ursula. German Names. Retrieved October 4th 2024 from 
https://www.germannames.de/wiki/Ursula

Württemberg. Historical state, Germany. Britannica. Retrieved October 4th 2024 from https://www.britannica.com/place/Wurttemberg

Photo:

Esslingen Neckar- Stuttgart - Germany. Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved October 4th 2024 from
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Esslingen_Neckar-_Stuttgart_-_Germany_(8917790032).jpg

Personal

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

X4 Great Grandpa ~ Solomon Bayes

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 39 (HOMESTEAD)

I decided to look for the homestead of my Bayes relatives in Campbellford, Ontario. 

According to the 1861 census my 4th great grandparents (with their 12 children were living at "Haldimand, Northumberland, Canada West".

Solomon Bayes
Birth 26 NOV 1815 • Hunworth, Norfolk, , England
Death 25 OCT 1882 • Northumberland, , Ontario, Canada
and
Mary Ann Tuck
Birth 15 JAN 1823 • Sharrington, Norfolk, England
Death 28 JAN 1908 • Cramahe, Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada

Their children on the census were: James, Martha, Solomon, William George, Edward, Emily, Adelaine, Deanah, Rebecca, and Celia. Mary Ann. Rufus, Georgina, and Henrietta were born after 1861.

I then began looking for where exactly they lived, but was not able to pinpoint an actual address.

The census notes they lived in a one story log house, and only their family lived in it. The 1861 census didn't ask if they owned or rented their home that I could find.

I looked at Library & Archives Canada, but was not able to find a land grant for them listed searching by:
- last name Bayes & Bays
- first name Solomon (with a variation of the last name)
- Haldimand Township (with a variation of the name)

I then looked at follow-up census, and was still not able to identify exactly where.

BUT ....

all was not lost

I decided to search for the history of Campbellford, and discovered the local library's archives and historical socities.

I now have many digital sources to look further for my family history.

Learning more about my Bayes ancestors.

My great grandfather, Ernest Elmer Bayes who was known as Hap
Great grandma Rose Honor (nee Dendy) Bayes
Grandma Amy, and her brother Fred

Still looking for the family homestead!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photos:

Personal

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Dragonflies ~ A Symbol of Love

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 38 (SYMBOL)

After the stepfather who raised me passed away in 2010 my mom was positive he was visiting her in the form of dragonflies.

About 6 months after he died they held a memorial at his favourite fishing lake for a small group of friends. 

During the memorial the bottle of Fireball came out along with shot glasses. 

Whenever dad went fishing Fireball was brought out to give thanks for the fish they had just caught OR to encourage fish to bite if they hadn't caught anything. 

When a shot glass was placed on a rock for dad at the lakeside memorial a dragonfly immediately landed on the edge. 

That dragonfly stayed throughout the entire memorial, and appeared to be listening to all the stories being shared.

From that moment on mom looked at dragonflies very differently.

Before mom died in 2015 she told me she would visit me as a dragonfly, and that when I saw 2 together it would be her and dad. 

From that moment I looked at dragonflies differently.

Me with my parents

In 2021 I had my nose pierced in memory of my mom, and got a dragonfly.

More about that story at this link
Making Memories ~ A Nose Piercing For My Birthday

When a dragonfly is a symbol of childhood love!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photos:

Personal

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Caretaking Online Memorials ~ Find a Grave

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 37 (TOMBSTONE)

In May 2023 I wrote about the surprise of finding my grandfather on Find a Grave with minimal information & no connection to my grandma. 

At the time I wrote:
"I do not know who took the photo or who manages grandpa's page. 
At first I was a bit surprised. 
The more I thought about it I realized it's okay. 
Find A Grave is a genealogy source. 
This is a genealogical record of my grandfather."

The whole blog can be found here: Clyde Robertson ~ Find A Grave

In May 2024 I decided that I should be the manager of grandpa's page, and requested transfer. The creator of his page promptly passed it over to me. I have added photos and his story to his memorial page.

I created a page for Grandma, and linked the two of them.

While I was looking around Find a Grave I discovered other relatives whose pages were being managed by non-relatives. 

I requested transfer of 12 memorials, and all but 4 were transferred promptly. 

I have now sent 3 requests (May, August, September) with no success for those 4. 

These 4 memorial are my: stepfather who raised me, my aunt, my 1st cousin, and my grandfather. The person who created these pages is my grandfather's 2nd wife (divorced) very distant cousin. 

The last message notified that I will reach out to Find a Grave for assistance if I don't hear back within a week. 

Find a Grave has a process for when memorials are not transferred to family members who request. 

"If the memorial in question is a relative to you (within our transfer guidelines) and the memorial manager is not family, then they must transfer the memorial.

• Memorials are transferred for relatives with these close relationships: child, spouse/partner, sibling, parent, grandchild, great-grandchild, grandparent, great-grandparent, niece/nephew, great-niece/nephew, aunt/uncle, great-aunt/uncle, or first cousin. This would include adoptive, step and in-law versions of these relationships.

If two members are related within these guidelines and both would like to manage the memorial, the member with the closer relationship should be given management." 1

In the Genealogy world Find a Grave is a bit troubling. 

Anyone can put up memorials for anyone. 

Sometimes they are put up long before family members are ready for the public postings of their loved ones.

Finding my loved ones there was startling. 

Had I never become a part of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks I may not have decided to collect my family's memorials. 

When I posted my May 2023 blog the organizer of the challenge (Amy Johnson Crowe) suggested I create a memorial for my grandmother and connect the 2. 

It took me a year, but that is exactly what I did. 

Then immediately I began requesting the transfer of family members.

At first I struggled with whether I should I be the manager of these family members.

Then I decided it shouldn't be strangers.

The page is already out there so I can hold space until a closer family member wishes to manage their loved one's memorial page.

Caretaking online memorials for loved one!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1  Request to Manage. Find A Grave. Retrieved September 11th 2024 from
https://support.findagrave.com/s/article/Request-to-Manage#transferguidelines

Sources:

Buchnerhouse. Find a Grave. Retrieved September 11th 2024 from
https://www.findagrave.com/user/profile

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________

Facing Management Effectively ~ Changing Our Dinner Hour Forever

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2024: Week 36 (WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT)

At first I was thinking that I didn't want to write about this week's prompt because I haven't dug up any new skeletons for quite a while, and didn't have the capacity to start digging. 

I then considered reposting an old skeleton, but thought where's the fun in that. 

Then I considered not writing at all, but decided that didn't fit for me because I committed to myself that I would write weekly.

Then I decided to write about Labour Day, and the Labour Movement. 

We have unions to thank for many of the protections found across the unionized and non-unionized workforce. 

Without unions I believe we would still be working too many days a week without many of the protections we see across all sectors.

Chris and I have had the privilege of belonging to a union for a lot of our adult lives. 

Chris got very involved in his union. 

He held many positions in his many years with the union.

Until he was promoted to management 2 1/2 years ago.

I'm not sure he sees the humour in my regular comments that he joined the dark side.

It was about that same time he left the union that I became involved in my union.

We don't talk about our different sides of the Labour/Management table.

Just kidding ... we talk about it a lot!!!

In fact I have plans to take a Facing Management Effectively course, and change our dinner hour forever.

Until then we don't talk about it!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Photos:

Personal

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please

include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.

All rights reserved.

Please & Thank you!

______________________________________________________________